The present invention is related to the field of water-resistant electronic devices and, more particularly, to electronic media devices integrated with a showerhead.
Many people enjoy some type of entertainment while taking a shower or bath. For example, bath toys, such as rubber ducks, or toy boats have been used in the bath for many years. Advances in technology have allowed the use of electronic devices in the shower. For example water resistant radios and compact disk players exist, which allow people to listen to music and/or radio stations in the shower or bath. Other devices, such as telephones have also been adapted for use in the shower or bath. Such devices can be mounted in the shower in various ways. One common way is to use suction cups or brackets to mount the device to the shower wall. Suction cups are disadvantageous because they are not reliable, especially when supporting heavy equipment. Brackets may require drilling into tile or shower walls, which can cause damage and leave unsightly holes if the brackets are ever removed. Another way of mounting the devices is to use a strap to hang the device over the showerhead. This method is also disadvantageous because it cannot be used with hand held showerheads. Additionally, all of these methods of mounting the device are disadvantageous because they consume space within the shower itself. Often, particularly with small showers, it is difficult to find space to mount an audio device because of space consumed by wall mounted shelves or shelves hung from the showerhead for holding shampoos, soaps, or other bath products. Space becomes particularly important when multiple people are sharing one shower. Alternatively, the device may be placed on a wall of the bathtub or placed outside of the shower or bath area itself, for example on a bathroom counter or floor. Placing the device outside of the shower precludes a person from operating the device without leaving the shower and may be difficult to see or hear over noise generated by water flowing from the shower or bath.
Additionally, some devices include built-in memory for storing multimedia data. This memory can be reprogrammed and updated with new data from an external source. In this case, it may be necessary to remove the device from the shower in order to update the memory. Thus, it is important to have a device which may be easily removed from the shower. Devices that are bracketed to the wall may be difficult to remove and replace.
Thus, an electronic device is needed for use in the shower which reduces the space consumed, can be mounted securely, and is easily removed and replaced in the shower.
The present invention includes an electronic media device removably integrated with a showerhead.
One object of this invention is to provide an electronic media device which conserves space in a shower or bath.
Another object of this invention is to provide an electronic media device which is easily mountable and removable in a shower or bath.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a housing is provided which is closed at one end and includes inner and outer walls which define a first chamber between them. The first chamber is open in a direction away from the closed end of the housing. A second chamber is defined by the inner wall and an electronic media device is seated in the second chamber.
In one aspect of this embodiment, the housing includes a handle with a duct communicating with the first chamber for delivering water into the first chamber.
In another aspect of this embodiment, a ring carrying an array of nozzles having discharge ends extending away from the closed end of the housing and having inlet ends communicating with the first chamber is seated in the first chamber. In yet another aspect of this embodiment, a faceplate having a front wall and inner and outer walls that engage the inner and outer walls of the housing is provided. The front wall has a plurality of openings through which the discharge ends of the nozzles extend. The faceplate helps retain the nozzle ring on the housing.
In another embodiment, a housing is provided which is closed at one end and includes inner and outer walls which define a first chamber between them. The first chamber is open in a direction away from the closed end of the housing. A second chamber in the housing is defined by the inner wall of the housing. A faceplate is also provided which has an inner wall, an outer wall, a back wall connected to the inner wall, and a front wall connected to the inner and outer walls on a side opposite to the back wall. The inner and outer walls of the faceplate define a third chamber between them and the inner and back wall of the faceplate define a fourth chamber in the second chamber of the housing. An electronic media device is seated in the fourth chamber.
In one aspect of the invention, the electronic media device includes a non-volatile memory unit for storing audio data and an inner face for transferring the audio data between the memory unit and a device external to the electronic media device.
In another aspect of the invention, the electronic media device is mounted in the inner chamber by a bayonet type connection.
In yet another aspect of the invention, electronic media device threads into the chamber.
These and other objects and features of the present invention will be better understood and appreciated from a reading of the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.